947 James Chester

Biography

A Rolls Royce of a defender. Never was a cliche more apt than to describe James Chester, a fabulous servant to Hull City for four and a half years and perhaps the most gifted defender the club witnessed for a generation or two. He joined City in January 2011, a key building block in Nigel Pearson’s oft-overlooked rebuilding programme that was necessary in the aftermath of City’s first spell in the Premier League. From the off there was something special about Chester – unflappable, an incredible tackler, impassable when one-on-one. From time to time he even had an eye for goal.

Chester came to Hull City immediately after a loan spell at Carlisle United so he was first team ready from the off. His first goal for the club came against Leeds United in February 2011 and he missed only two League games in the 2011/12 season as Pearson and his successor Nick Barmby fell just short of the play-off places. In the 2012/13 season Chester was again a rock in the centre of defence for Steve Bruce’s side, again missing just two League games as the Tigers swept to promotion back to the Premier League.

Returned to the top flight, the Tigers consolidated with Chester often on the sidelines, an early season hamstring injury and a late season ankle knock restricting his game time. The Tigers advanced in the FA Cup at the same time Chester recovered and in May 2014 he strode onto the Wembley pitch to start in the FA Cup Final. Within a few minutes he had diverted a Tom Huddlestone strike into the Arsenal net and came to prominence on the world stage for the first time – while City lost the final in the end, James Chester was now a household name.

He began the 2014/15 season with an opening day winner at Queens Park Rangers but missed three months of football due to a shoulder injury. When he returned to the first team in April 2015 the Tigers were tumbling down the table – at the end of the season Hull City were relegated back to the Championship and Chester, now an established top flight and international footballer, was forced to seek pastures new.

James Grant Chester was born in Warrington and was associated with Manchester United’s academy from the age of eight. He progressed through the ranks and made his senior Red Devils debut in January 2009 in the improbable setting of a League Cup Semi-Final second leg against Derby County – a first leg shellacking encouraged United to field a team of younger stars in the routine return match.  Although he made no further first team appearances for his parent club James enjoyed three loan spells – at League One side Peterborough United during February 2009 (5 appearances), at Championship side Plymouth Argyle during September 2009 (3 appearances) and at League One side Carlisle United during the first half of the 2010/11 season, where he scored four goals in 24 appearances. It was this third loan spell at Carlisle that saw Chester rise to prominence, attracting Hull City’s interest.

When Hull City were relegated from the Premier League in May 2015 Chester stayed in the top flight, in July 2015 he signed for Premier League side West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £8 million. His spell at The Hawthorns was to last only a single season and just 19 senior appearances as Baggies’ boss Tony Pulis failed to find a regular berth for the elegant Chester in his first team full of giants. In August 2016 Chester moved to recently-relegated Championship side Aston Villa where he reunited with his former City boss Steve Bruce. James resumed regular first team duties at Villa Park with calm assuredness, helping the side consolidate in the second tier during the 2016/17 season then reach the play-off final in May 2018 only to lose at Wembley to Fulham – James missed just one League match during these two seasons. Early in the 2018/19 season Bruce was replaced by Dean Smith and Chester retained his first team berth until a serious knee injury ended his season prematurely in January 2019. After nearly a year on the sidelines James returned to fitness but was used sparingly by a Villa side now back in the Premier League. In January 2020 Chester joined Championship side Stoke City on a half-season loan, making 16 appearances, then left Aston Villa in June 2020 having scored 12 goals in 126 appearances.

In August 2020 James returned to Stoke City and served the Potters for two more seasons, adding a further 55 appearances to the 16 he had made on loan during the latter half of the 2018/19 season. Chester left Stoke City in the 2022 close season and in July 2022 he signed for financially crippled League One side Derby County – but with his injuries catching up with him he made only 7 appearances for Paul Warne’s side before his release in May 2023.

After a summer considering options, at the end of August 2023 Chester joined League Two side Barrow where he re-established himself as a first team regular with an eye for an occasional goal. He scored two goals in 41 appearances for the Cumbrian side as they narrowly missed out on a play-off berth. In July 2024 he joined League Two rivals Salford City.

Although also qualified for the England national side Chester plumped for Wales, qualifying through his mother’s birthplace. He made his senior debut for Wales in a June 2014 0-2 defeat to the Netherlands. Over the next four years he was a Wales regular, playing six matches during Wales’s superb campaign at the Euro 2016 finals that saw them reach the semi-final. By the time James made his last international appearance in a November 2018 Nations League tie against Denmark, he had amassed 35 international caps.

Details

Nationality: Wales
Date/Place of Birth: 23 January 1989, Warrington
Hull City First Game: 15 January 2011, Barnsley H (Championship), 21 years, 357 days old
Hull City Final Game: 24 May 2015, Manchester United H (Premier League), 26 years, 121 days old

Clubs

Manchester United (2005-2011), Peterborough United (2009, loan), Plymouth Argyle (2009, loan), Carlisle United (2010-2011, loan), Hull City (2011-2015), West Bromwich Albion (2015-2016), Aston Villa (2016-2020), Stoke City (2020, loan), Stoke City (2020-2022), Derby County (2022-2023), Barrow (2023-2024), Salford City (2024-current)

Hull City Record

Career: 171 apps, 8 goals

James Chester
SeasonLGE
App
LGE
Gls
FAC
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FAC
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FLC
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FLC
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EUR
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OTH
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2010/1121 (0)1
2011/1244 (0)21 (0)0
2012/1343 (1)12 (0)02 (0)0
2013/1422 (2)14 (1)1
2014/1523 (0)21 (0)04 (0)0

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